Concordia Lutheran girls harriers keeping eyes on state title prize

Making a runCL girls harriers keeping eyes on state title prize

TODD HVEEM, Chronicle correspondent

Published
5:30 am CDT, Thursday, October 18, 2001

The Concordia Lutheran Lady Crusaders will have their sights set on winning the school's first-ever state championship when they participate in the TAPPS 4A state cross country meet on Saturday in Waco.

The Lady Crusaders, led by freshman sisters Michelle and Jennifer Griedl, scored only 37 points to win the recent TAPPS 6-4A meet by five points over John Cooper.

Michelle Griedl finished third individually at the district meet with a 2-mile time of 13 minutes, 10 seconds, while Jennifer was fifth in 15:08.

"Jennifer is hurting a little bit right now," said Concordia first-year head coach Paul Wilke. "She is not running up to normal. It is probably a little bit of overtraining. It is late in the year, and, as a freshman, she probably has never done this much running.

"They are usually right next to each other (in order of finish)," the coach added. "Michelle's goal is to become the No. 1 runner in the district, and Jennifer is working her tail off to catch Michelle. They really push themselves."

Wilke said he was surprised the district meet was as close as it turned out.

"I really didn't think it would be that close," he admitted. "We didn't run as well as I thought we would."

Still, he said couldn't be more pleased with his young team.

"We are basically running three freshmen, three seniors and a sophomore right now," Wilke said. "I couldn't ask for anything more than they have given me."

Concordia, which this season has placed third, fourth or fifth in several other invitational meets, probably will be chasing Second Baptist at Saturday's state meet.

"We have finished behind Second Baptist every time we have run," said Wilke, who last year coached in Giddings. "We have gained on them every meet, but we haven't been able to catch them yet. It all depends on our third, fourth and fifth runners."

"We are hoping to be in the top two at state," the coach said. "If everybody is running well and healthy, we should at least be in the top three. But the top two certainly would be nice."

Wilke said the Griedl sisters both have a shot to place in the top 10 individually.

The individual favorites probably will be Ashkar and Bambrick of Second Baptist, Lauren Murphy of John Cooper and Malin Fugelsang and Anna Wittenburg of Awty International.

"Michelle easily should be in the top 10," the coach said. "If Jennifer is healthy, she also should have a shot. If they both place in the top 10, I like our chances (at state)."

Concordia last year finished sixth at state in the boys' race and eighth in the girls' competition.

"That is the best they have done in the last six or seven years," Wilke said.

The Crusaders finished third at the recent district meet with 74 points. Wade Hayslit was the team's top individual performer. He finished 18th in the three-mile race.

"That is about what we were expecting," the coach said.

Senior Johnny Reed has been the team's emotional leader, Wilke added.

"We are really short on runners," the coach added. "We only have seven boys on the team running together."

Ironically, sophomore Michael Griedl, who is the older brother of Michelle and Jennifer, probably would have been one of the team's top runners had he not been forced to miss the season with knee troubles.

The Griedl sisters also have a younger brother -- seventh-grader Jacob Griedl.

"They hope to all run together at the varsity level in a couple years," the coach said. "That would be pretty neat."